|
Keiko's face falls at the historian's disinterest, but she tries once more before walking away.
"I have information on a shiver-smuggling ring based out of Ilsurian & Korvosa in Varisia that I recently helped take down. I don't know how far their narcotics were smuggled, but it impacted the south of Varisia for the last 15 years."
If that doesn't seem to impress him, she looks shifty and offers "Or I could share some somewhat out-of-date information on the military of Tian-Min Prince Dukat Kazuyuki. I know his enemies, his hidden caches, and a few of his secrets. Just don't ask how I have come to know this information." Her eyes look wide and frightened as she offers this.
|
Tianna watches the room, keeping tabs on where the members of their party have gone, watching for any trouble. "So," Tianna asks Sharimus as she scans the room. "If our host doesn't come back in fifteen minutes, do we go offer to hunt down the person who is supposed to be here to replace her at the bar?"
With fine speech and interesting stories, Keiko can attract the man's interest.
"Ahh, now we are talking. Military history! Sit down and let me tell you what I know ... “ he replies with a hint of a nod.
Keiko realizes that Gill is familiar with the Pathfinder organization and has worked with Pathfinders in the past.
He is amiable to agents but provides an outsider’s unique perspective of the Society’s actions. When talking, he often gets sidetracked, going on long tangents regarding important military history from the Inner Sea.
The old man assumes that everyone is knowledgeable of such things, but if asked for particulars about his digressions, he goes into excruciating detail about esoteric events.
”Ahhh, it was great taking to you! I have to leave but if you need any assistance in the future then contact me! I am here every evening!!“
Heryn returns
After about half an hour Heryn comes to your table and says: “Are you ready to go?"
* * *
After you all drink and eat what you ordered you confirm that you are ready and she takes you through the kitchen (A7) where three cooks prepare appetizers and larger meals with a wood-burning stove and several stone-surfaced tables. She opens the door to a back storeroom (A8) where a set of stone stairs leads down from here into the basement level of the Wounded Wisp.
The stairs descend into a tightly packed storeroom (A10) where barrels, boxes, and crates of assorted foodstuffs and drink garnishes are pushed against the walls or under the stairs.
Heryn suddenly has a stern look and says
“If you were not here because of business associated with Dreng I would never let you in here … firstly because it is embarrassing and secondly because I will let you alone down here, what I also do with Dreng. So please enjoy and respect my trust and also Dreng’s I suppose. You will see why I say embarassing because we usually do not use the rooms beyond this room anymore.” and with that she opens the door and shows you the next room (A11) and continues.
”Ahhh … formerly the next room was a meeting room where the staff could converse or take time off between shifts, but this chamber suffered significant damage during the earthquake of 4698. Several fissures split the floor that are leading down to a section of the city’s sewer system. So please, please keep quite about this, okay?” she says with a pleading look.
Heryn is slightly relieved about Tianna’s answer.
“Ehh .. great!!“
She shows you the next room and the hole in the floor ”Look, nobody had the money to pay to repair the damage, so before I even started here they had acquired a broad wooden plank that serves as a bridge across the fissure. Now go through this room and enter the cellar on the other side. Actually, Dreng asked me to get the bottle and give it to you but … I am afraid of heights and I cannot come with you. I am sure you will need time to find what you are looking for because except Dreng nobody knows this place anymore.” she hands you a piece of paper with the name of a vineyard and a certain vintage (from a year preceding the creation of the Society) and waves goodbye hurrying up the stairs.
Tianna is able to to walk very slowly and reaches the other side without any issues, and the others follow this example so that you are now all on the other side.
You walk into the cellar (A12). This chamber is where the Wounded Wisp keeps its supply of specialty wines and ales for important occasions.
You start searching for the wine bottle and it feels like searching for a needle in a hay stack.
Finally you find that particular bottle from a very old vintage in the wine rack.
When you take out the bottle ... the complete wine rack in the back of the room slides back.
The sound is almost not to hear but the dust that comes down shows that this secret door has not been opened for ages.
You look into a short stone tunnel that leads into a hidden room (A13) that is illuminated.
You look into the tunnel just a little to see what lies ahead and check for traps but cannot find any.
A sturdy silver chain jutting from the ceiling ends in a glowing orb that radiates yellow light across the rectangular room. A simple desk of polished wood, stacked with documents and scattered notes, shelters a pair of wooden chests against the south wall. A series of cracks along the eastern and western walls form makeshift entrances into exposed caverns.
The only light source in this room is a plain rock that bears a continual flame spell and hangs from a chain. The illumination is enough to brighten the room but leaves the connecting tunnels dark.
|
|
Keiko stares with her jaw agape for a second when the wine bottle reveals a hidden hallway "Um... whut?" After that moment, it sinks in that VC Dreng must be trusting them on a more serious mission than simply fetching wine. Why didn't he inform us what to expect though...? Her curiosity will make her support going in to investigate, she will stay about 15 feet behind whomever's in front.
You look at the desk and see that it contains various notes and leads. A first glimpse shows that these were obviously penned by Selmius Foster with later annotations by a certain Adolphus.
Selmius Foster was a Pathfinder who was published in many of the early Pathfinder Chronicles.
Adolphus was a Pathfinder who began his career as the assistant of the Pathfinder Selmius Foster. He published the account of his master's death in Volume 3 of the Pathfinder Chronicles. He went on to found the Pathfinder lodge in Quantium.
The pathways are getting smaller and smaller. No possibility to continue.
Nothing else is visible or audible.
|
|
Tianna glances over Sharimus' shoulder at the documents and nods in agreement. She joins in the search for anything else interesting. Not finding anything of note, she starts making her way back out of the room. Hopefully by now Dreng is waiting upstairs for his bottle of wine, and the information they just found.
You are discussing and standing in the silent room that looks like it was not touched for ages.
Suddenly, you hear hundreds of high-pitched squeaks fill the air as a mass of small, carnivorous bats surges forth, all of them hungry for blood.
Perception
Initiative
Keiko and Tianna are utterly surprised when the swarm of bats enters the room through various tunnels.
The others on the other hand heard the screams a little earlier and are ready to react.
BAT SWARM CR 2
N Diminutive animal (swarm)
Init +2; Senses blindsense 20 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15
Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 size)
hp 13 (3d8)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3
Defensive Abilities swarm traits; Immune weapon damage
OFFENSE
Melee swarm (1d6)
Special Attacks distraction (DC 11), wounding
Wounding (Ex) Any living creature damaged by a bat swarm continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds do not result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing magic.
--
Surprise round - Standard or Move action only
Sophia
Sharimus
Swarm
Ouita
-
Round 1
Keiko
Tianna
Sophia
Sharimus
Swarm
Ouita
Bold may act!
The swarm of carnivorous bats suddenly fills the room and makes breathing difficult.
Tianna is filled with terror as the swarm engulfs her and the young Pathfinder's body starts to bleed.
--
Surprise round - Standard or Move action only
Ouita
-
Round 1
Keiko
Tianna, -4, bleed 1
Sophia
Sharimus
Swarm
Ouita
Bold may act!
Within seconds you all annihilate the bats!!
Burning bats and dissolved skin are visible everywhere!!
You check all tunnels but they are too narrow to follow after a while and you cannot find anything more of interest in there.
You are certain that there is nothing to be found beyond the documents of those legendary Pathfinders.
You start to look at the documents in more detail.
The papers chronicle the personal exploits of Selmius Foster, a famous Pathfinder whose name some of you recognize from their training as Pathfinder agents.
Most of Foster’s more infamous adventures appear here in varying amounts of detail, but it is evident there is another investigation he had been pursuing before he died: the lost records of a Society agent named Eylysia.
You find two very interesting documents, which detail Selmius’s thoughts on the matter, and an appended note from Adolphus.
Together, these reference three major leads Foster had found. But it seems as if they never had time to investigate properly as the thoroughly compiled notes just stop at some point.
* * *
You decide to leave the cellar and the secret room and return to the upper level.
The kitchen personnel is a little astounded to see you again, especially with some of you having blood stains on their clothes. And although Heryn Gale is quite busy when you return she notices that you obviously were in a fight.
"Oh my god, what happened to you?!" she asks with great concern and wants to run down to see what is going on.
When you explain to her that you found the secret door she obviously is very surprised about what you found.
Heryn then says "That is truly unbelievable and I agree with you. But to be honest such a matter has to be discussed with a Venture-Captain to align on the next step. I do not know what you want to do now but good luck to you! And please come back and inform us what to do with the room ... I ... I am still in shock ... unbelievable."
|
|
Tianna had initially waved off any offers of help, she pulled some supplies from her pack to bandage herself as they went back up (Friendless (Tiefling) Feat).
But... she is apparently having difficulty stopping the bleeding from some of the bat bites. She has some singed spots in her clothing from the Alchemist's fire, but her skin resisted any damage from it.
She accepts the potion with a nod of thanks to Sharimus.